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Tejaswin Shankar scripts history, becomes first Indian athlete to win a medal in decathlon at Commonwealth Games
Tejaswin Shankar scripted history late on Friday night, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a medal in decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.
Tejaswin Shankar added another milestone to Indian athletics late on Friday night by becoming the country's first-ever medallist in the men's decathlon at the Commonwealth Games. The athlete produced a consistent all-round performance across the two-day competition to claim the bronze medal in Glasgow. The 27-year-old accumulated 7,976 points across the 10-discipline event, securing a podium finish and making history for India in one of athletics' most demanding competitions.
Shankar, who is also a TOPS Development athlete, clocked 4:36.19 to accumulate 704 points in the ultimate event of the Men's Decathlon, the 1500m.
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Grenada's Lindon Victor successfully defended his dominance in the event, capturing the gold medal with a tally of 8,096 points. Canada's Damian Warner finished close behind to take silver after amassing 8,036 points, while Shankar completed the podium with another memorable international performance.
Four years ago, Shankar had won bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the men's high jump, becoming one of India's standout performers in the field events.
His performance in the event
Speaking of the Indian athlete, he made an encouraging start on the opening day with a time of 10.96 seconds in the 100 metres, collecting 870 points. He then delivered one of the standout performances of his campaign in the long jump, soaring to a personal-best mark of 7.82 metres to earn an impressive 1,015 points.
Shankar continued his strong showing in the high jump, clearing 2.15 metres to add another 944 points to his tally. By the end of the first day's competition, he had amassed 4,339 points, placing him second overall and just 14 points behind Canadian star Damian Warner in a tightly contested leaderboard.
Returning for Day 2, Shankar maintained his composure as the battle for the medals intensified. He opened with a 14.41-second run in the 110m hurdles, securing 922 points before producing another personal best in the discus throw. His effort of 40.44 metres added 674 valuable points to his overall score.
The Indian then cleared 4.30 metres in the pole vault to collect 702 points before producing a season-best throw of 53.12 metres in the javelin. That effort proved crucial, earning 635 points and lifting him into third place ahead of the decisive final event. Everything came down to the 1500 metres, where Shankar held his nerve despite the physical demands of two days of competition.
